Cinderella Rock Girl
by Stinkfly3
Summary: Everyone knows the same old story of the fairy tale princess. But this isn't the same old story. This Grojband take on the classic tale includes a search for a replacement musician, a wicked boss instead of a wicked stepmother, the real deal behind the Fairy Godmother, and a surprising twist involving the Cinderella of the story.
1. The Setup

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry about the brief hiatus. To make up for lost time, here's a brand new story inspired by the newer version of the Cinderella musical!**

* * *

Meet The Newmans, a local rock group in Peaceville. The band members were lead singer Carrie Beff, bass player Lenny Newman, keytarist Kim Pine, and drummer Konnie Magik. While they did a good job with performing gigs and everyone in town loved their music, they were actually jerks, especially towards their manager, Laney Penn.

Laney wasn't an ordinary girl. She was the most dazzling girl in town. But because of Carrie's jealousy towards her, she had to hide her beauty. So she wore dark makeup and made her long hair shorter using a round brush, a blow dryer, and several bobby pins. She even had to wear boyish clothes to hide her curves and her hair always seemed to cover her left eye. With all this work done, Laney felt overshadowed by Carrie and her rock glamor looks. She secretly wished to show her beauty to the world, but unless Carrie could hire another manager, she felt trapped in a dead-end job.

That is, until a rival band had an argument...

* * *

"Good work, Newmans," Carrie said as the band (and Laney) left Salad Barney's. "Another successful gig completed."

"Yeah, we rocked the house!" Konnie agreed.

"Laney, mark it off the list," Carrie ordered. "And see if you can plan another gig for tomorrow."

"Carrie, you don't have to perform every single day," Laney suggested. "It's not a competition."

Carrie stopped walking and turned to face Laney. "Not a competition?" she asked. "Not a competition?! You have been working for us for a month and you think it's not a competition?!"

"Carrie, let it go..." Kim said.

"In case you haven't been paying attention, we have to compete against those cheapskates who call themselves Grojband!" Carrie exclaimed, ignoring Kim. "We must practice every single day and snag every gig in town before they do!"

Laney went over her list. "But Carrie, there are no more gigs," she said. "You already performed at the drive-in movie theater, a Halloween dance, some random wedding, Sludgefest, a kid's birthday party, the carnival derby, the Queen Bee Beauty Pageant, and just about every other available gig. There's nothing left to perform."

"Then I suggest you start researching more gigs when we get back to base!" Carrie ordered.

Laney groaned. "Yes Carrie," she said.

* * *

Speaking of Grojband, things weren't going well in the Riffin garage. The reason? It was about losing to The Newmans at the vegan restaurant gig.

"This is unbelievable!" Corey exclaimed, throwing his guitar at the stage. "This is the eighteenth time this month The Newmans beat us to a gig!"

"What have we been doing wrong?" Kon asked.

"Maybe it has to do with my sister getting me grounded after _someone_ destroyed her plant," Corey said, glaring at their sixteen-year-old guitarist Chloe. (A/N: Yes, THAT Chloe.)

"It was talking!" Chloe defended. "For all we know, it could have brainwashed us into zombie hippies!"

"You always say things like that!" Corey argued. "It's your actions that get us screwed every single time!"

"What about the Alpine Horn and Chocolate Watch Expo?!" Chloe asked. "It was your stupid 'rituals' that cost us the gig!"

"Oh, so now it's my fault?!" Corey exclaimed. "You were the one who called Trina a [censored] [censored] [censored] during the Queen Bee Beauty Pageant! If you kept your mouth shut and purposely lost the final round like you were supposed to, she wouldn't have run off crying! It's your fault we couldn't get any lyrics!"

"You know what, forget it!" Chloe said, heading for the garage door. "I quit!"

"Fine!" Corey responded. "I was going to fire you anyway!"

"Good!" Chloe said, leaving the garage. "Good luck finding a new bassist!"

When Chloe was gone, Kin was the first one to speak. "Nice going, Corey," he said. "You cost us our bassist."

"What are we going to do now?" Kon asked.

Corey sighed. "Guess we'll have to find a new one," he said.

* * *

Back with The Newmans, they were in the middle of practice while Laney used the computer to look up gigs. "Carrie, I still don't see any gigs," Laney said.

"Keep searching!" Carrie ordered before she resumed singing.

"Maybe you should let her take a break," Kim suggested. "She looks tired."

Carrie stopped singing and sighed. "Alright," she said. "Laney, go outside for a bit. But don't take too long. I still need you to look up gigs."

"Thank you!" Laney said, getting up from the computer. "My back was getting sore."

* * *

Outside the Beff residence, Laney laid down on the front lawn. She didn't like working for The Newmans. She had to keep track of local gigs and book upcoming ones early. It was her quick planning that allowed the band to perform long before Grojband heard about the gigs. All she asked for was Carrie to treat her with respect. _"Like that's going to happen,"_ she thought.

"The band still not treating you well?"

Laney sat up as a sixteen-year-old girl with pink hair walked towards her. This was Trina Riffin, the older sister of the lead singer of Grojband. She was Laney's only friend.

"Yep," Laney answered. "There aren't any more gigs, but Carrie still wants me to research them. How could I book more gigs if there aren't any more left?"

"You so worry too much," Trina said. "Learn to relax. Stop thinking about what you want and pay more attention to what you want."

"Easy for you to say," Laney said. "I took this manager job to make a name for myself. All Carrie's doing is bossing me around."

Trina took Laney by the hand and pulled her off the ground. "Come with me," she said. "I want to show you something."

* * *

Trina brought Laney over to the Riffin garage. "Trina, why are you bringing me to the rival band?" Laney asked.

"Trust me on this one," Trina said. She knocked on the wall, getting the band's attention.

"Trina?" Corey asked. "What are you doing here?"

"Just, like, showing this girl the competition," Trina said. "Nothing else."

Corey hopped off the stage and walked towards Laney. "Hey, I know you," he said. "You're the manager who works for The Newmans. Penny Lane, right?"

"It's Laney Penn," Laney corrected.

"Right, I knew it was something like that," Corey said.

"So bro, what happened to Chloe?" Trina asked. "Isn't she, like, here all the time or whatev's?"

"She quit," Corey answered. "She was so angry at me that she forgot her bass." He gestured to a faded blue bass in the room.

"Hold up," Trina said, holding up her hand. "Are you totes saying you got rid of your bassist?"

"She released all those weeks of repressed anger," Kin explained.

Trina smiled. "Hashtag: IDEA!" she declared. "Why don't you give the bass to Laney here?" She picked up the bass and put it in the younger girl's hand.

"But I never played an instrument before," Laney said.

"Yeah, well, I've seen you look at so many How To videos," Trina said. "Now go on. Play a note."

Laney looked at the bass. She was unsure about this. What if she was bad? But still, she strapped it on and plucked the strings. Surprisingly, she was good. VERY good, in fact.

"Then it's settled," Trina said. "Laney will be your new bassist!"

Laney's eyes widened. "New bassist?" she asked. "I-I can't do that." She unstrapped the bass from her torso and put it back in the case. "I still need to look up gigs for The Newmans." As she ran back to the Beff household, what was left of Grojband were surprised.

"Trina, that was an unusually nice gesture," Corey said. "Why did you do that?"

"I totes have my reasons," Trina said with a smile.


	2. It's Possible

**A/N: Sorry is chapter is a bit long. I didn't want to end it on a sudden cliffhanger.**

* * *

Three days past since Trina tried to make Laney Grojband's new bassist, but everything was supposedly back to normal. Laney went back to being manager to The Newmans and Corey was still looking for another bassist. With the exception of Chloe, no one else was good at playing the bass. Then again, the auditions would have been better if Corey did make the auditions too specific.

"'Girls only'?" Kin asked, looking at a flyer. "You want a girl bassist in our band?"

"This is Chloe's replacement," Corey explained. "The new bassist needs to appeal to the female perspective. Can't let everyone think we're an all-boy band."

"There's nothing wrong with a male bassist," Kon said, browsing various websites.

"Yes there is," Corey explained. "If we add a guy for the replacement, we're going to end up with half-minded ditzy preteen girls thinking we're the next N*SYNC or Backstreet Boys. We NEED a girl in the band to prevent that from happening."

"Any idea how we can do that?" Kin asked.

Kon stopped at a particular website. "How about attending tonight's dance?" he asked.

Corey ran over to the computer and looked at the website.

**The 14th Annual Peaceville Ball**

**Dress up as your favorite fairy tale character and live a life of fantasy!**

**You can't go if you don't look formal.**

Corey smiled. "Guys, I have a crazy idea that just might work."

* * *

"The Peaceville Ball is tonight?!" Carrie exclaimed, looking at the computer.

"Looks like it to me," Laney replied. "Want me to book the gig?"

"Don't bother," Carrie said. "We're a rock band, not a classical band."

"So why bother going?" Konnie asked.

"To attend, of course," Carrie said. "Just imagine, Newmans. Everyone's having a good time at the party. Then all of a sudden, we walk in. Everyone looks at us, amazed with how good we look in formal attire. Then, right across the dance floor, we find those special someones to dance with as all eyes are still on us." She sighed loveingly. "It's the perfect dream come true!"

The other three bandmates were silent until Lenny spoke up. "Carrie, I appreciate you not using gender-specific pronouns, but I don't think that little fantasy of yours works for me."

"We're going, Lenny," Carrie insisted. "Kim, Konnie, you in?"

"But I don't have a dress," Konnie said.

"And I'm not really princess material," Kim said.

"I'll let you borrow some of my dresses," Carrie said. "Lenny, you'll have to find a suit for tonight."

"What about me?" Laney asked since she was a closet girly-girl.

Carrie scoffed. "Like I see you wearing a dress," she said. "You don't have the right body." She looked at her bandmates. "Okay Newmans, let's get ready for the dance."

As The Newmans discussed outfits and Laney went back to researching more gigs, no one was aware Trina was standing right outside, and that she overheard the whole conversation.

* * *

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Kin asked.

"Trust me," Corey said. "Every girl is going to attend the dance. I'll talk to each of them and see if they're good at playing the bass."

"And how do you plan to do that?" Kon asked.

Corey walked over to a mirror. "Please," he said, taking off his beanie and finger-combing his hair. "No girl can resist my charms."

* * *

That night, The Newmans were adding the finishing touches on their outfits. Lenny wore a simple black and white suit, while the girls went all out. Kim wore a knee-length red dress with ruby sandals and a ruby necklace. Konnie wore a black dress with black flats. But as the leader of the band, Carrie looked the prettiest. Her hair was straightened and not covered by her lucky beanie. She wore a sparkling orange one-sleeved gown and dark blue high heels. She was willing to wear red lipstick for the occasion, wanting to make an impression.

"Okay Newmans," Carrie said. "Are we ready to enjoy this party?"

"We sure are, Carrie," Konnie replied.

"Good," Carrie said. "Now come on. My sister is driving us."

Laney watched as the Beff family car drove off. She sighed miserably and went back to her research. She really wanted to attend the dance and have her own fairy tale princess fantasy. Carrie was preventing it from happening. So as usual, she was stuck in this garage looking up any more gigs.

"Hey Laney."

Laney looked away from the computer and saw Trina standing right outside. "Hey Trina," she said. "What are you doing here?"

Trina entered the garage. "Just wondering why you're, like, not at the dance like all the other girls in town."

"It's Carrie," Laney said. "She made me stay here." She sighed. "And I really wanted to go."

"So why don't you?" Trina asked.

"Because Carrie said so," Laney answered.

"Bet she didn't say anything about pretending to go," Trina said, pulling Laney away from the computer. "What do you say?"

Laney rolled her eyes. "Sure, why not?"

"Great!" Trina exclaimed. "Now what would you totes like?"

Laney looked down at her outfit. "A nice dress, for starters," she said.

"Don't tell me," Trina said. "A gorgeous white gown that sparkles in the ballroom lights."

"I guess," Laney said with a shrug.

Trina responded by taking out a white bedsheet and tying it around Laney's waist. "Here's your gown," the older girl said, escorting Laney over to a mirror. "What do you think?"

Laney couldn't help but smile. She looked silly with a bedsheet tied around her waist. "I think I look pretty," she said, playing along.

"Now about your hair," Trina said. "What about an elegant updo so perfect, not a single stand is, like, in front of your eyes?"

"I was actually thinking something like this," Laney said. Then she took out her bobby pins, locks of her red hair reaching past her shoulders with each bobby pin removed.

When Laney was finished, Trina squealed, amazed to see her friend look girly for once. "Hashtag: BEAUTIFUL!" she declared. "You so look like a princess!"

"Trina, you know we're just pretending," Laney pointed out.

"I know, but it's so much fun!" Trina said. "What do you think about white eyeshadow? You probably don't need makeup, but it would go so well with your dress. And how about, like, glass slippers on your feet?"

"Hold on," Laney said, walking away from the mirror. "I appreciate you trying to cheer me up, but I think you're getting carried away."

"Come on, Laney," Trina encouraged. "It's possible when you use your imagination."

"You suggested glass slippers," Laney said. "For that to happen, you would have to be some kind of fairy godmother."

With that comment, Trina stopped smiling. "Oh," she said. "You're serious."

"Wait..." Laney said, looking at the older girl. "What do you mean by that?"

Trina slammed the garage door shut. "You can't tell anyone about this," she said, grabbing a pale brown cloak and wrapping it around herself. "It's, like, super important. You must promise to keep your word."

"About what?" Laney asked.

"This," Trina said. Then she took off the cloak, suddenly wearing a poofy lilac gown and silver high heels. Her hair was longer and held back by a diamond headband. All in all, she looked absolutely amazing.

Laney was baffled. "Wha- How did you-"

Trina made an ID appear out of thin air for a few seconds. "I'm a fairy godmother in-training for Midnight Wishes Industries," she explained, no longer talking like a valley girl. "We specialize in helping all the Cinderellas of the Multiverse get their happy endings."

Laney didn't respond.

Trina sighed. "Guess I have to explain myself," she said. A scroll appeared in front of her and she showed Laney various pictures on the scroll. "In 1697, a fairy godmother named Fleury Sparkles helped out a kind servant girl who was called Cinderella by her stepfamily. But after she got her happy ending, a strange occurrence occurred. Almost instantly, the original Cinderella was somehow replicated when space gods wanted to create their own versions of the story. Those versions were spread throughout the Multiverse, resulting in numerous Cinderellas to exist all at once. Fortunately, Fleury came up with a brilliant plan. She created Midnight Wishes Industries to train fairy godmothers to help all those Cinderellas in the Multiverse. Some of the well-known ones are Abigail Delight of 1950, Christine Winker of 1957, Winifred Hudson of 1997, Lucinda Snyde of 2004, and Marie Lavender of 2013. The last one is my mentor." The scroll vanished instantly. "Does that clear things up?"

"Are you saying Cinderella is a real person?" Laney asked, still surprised.

"Was," Trina corrected. "She died of old age a long time ago. Those other versions you see in the media originated from different sections of the Multiverse."

"Why are you telling me all of this?" Laney asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Trina asked. "As a fairy godmother, it's my job to reveal myself to this universe's version of Cinderella so I can turn her into a princess for the big dance."

"So where is this Cinderella?" Laney asked, looking around.

Trina groaned, starting to get frustrated. "It's you."

"Me?!" Laney asked in alarm. "I can't be this universe's version of Cinderella! I live with my biological mother and I don't have any siblings!"

"Each Cinderella is different, but they all have the basic elements," Trina explained. "Let's take you for example. You're a manager for a band, but the leader treats you horribly. This kind of makes Carrie, the band's leader, the wicked stepmother, leaving her bandmates as the evil stepsiblings. Carrie forces you to hide your beauty using baggy clothes, dark makeup, and bobby pins. Guess you can say she forces you to wear 'rags'. So with Carrie and her bandmates off to the town dance, I'm here to help you become beautiful."

"Okay then," Laney said, raising her arms. "Go ahead. Work your magic on me."

"Yeah, about that..." Trina said. "You probably know about the rule that the spell is broken at the stroke of midnight, which is actually to recycle the magic after a fairy godmother uses it." She took a deep breath. "But because I'm not a full-fledge fairy godmother, my spells are kind of...permanent."

"Meaning?" Laney asked.

"If I turn your outfit into a dress, it'll stay like that forever," Trina explained. "But before you say anything, I'm willing to work around that problem." She untied the bedsheet from the younger girl's waist and put it in her hands. "So while I work my magic to create your transportation, go take a shower to freshen up. When your done, use this bedsheet as a makeshift robe."

"Why?" Laney asked, looking at the bedsheet.

"I told you this was your gown when we were pretending," Trina explained. "Now go ahead and clean up."

* * *

Some time later, Laney came back to the garage with the bedsheet wrapped around her body. "Okay, I'm back," she said.

"Perfect," Trina said. "Now to work my magic and turn you into your true self."

"So, how does this work?" Laney asked. "Do I spin around while you..."

"What? No!" Trina said. "I don't want you to get dizzy." She cracked her knuckles. "Just let me get my powers working, and..." She extended her arms towards Laney, lilac powder coming from her palms.

Laney couldn't believe what was happening. The powder swirled around her as the bedsheet changed shape, becoming more fitting around her body. She subconsciously closed her eyes as some powder shifted to her face, right on her closed eyelids. A strand of powder even went into her hair, moving it away from her face and exposing her ears. Eventually, the powder faded away, completing the transformation.

"Did it work?" Laney asked, opening her eyes.

Trina brought Laney over to the mirror. "You tell me," she said.

Laney couldn't believe what she saw. Her hair was straightened and held back by a white bow. She was wearing a strapless white gown that fit her so perfectly, every curve in her torso was visible. Her makeup only consisted of diamond eyeshadow, which complimented the dark green in her eyes. She briefly lifted the skirt, revealing glass slippers on her feet. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. She was that speechless.

"Yeah, I know," Trina said. "Every Cinderella is surprised when they see themselves look like that. You're welcome."

"Trina, this is amazing," Laney said. "I look like a real girl."

"But they never say that," Trina added. "That's a first."

Laney looked over at Trina. "But you did it," the younger girl said. "You made me look like a girl." She smiled. "Thank you."

"Just doing my job," Trina replied. She walked over to the garage door. "Now I know I'm supposed to make a carriage out of a pumpkin, but then I realized how smelly it would be and I really don't want you to have an odor when you go to the party. So instead, I made one out of scratch." She opened the garage door, revealing a silver carriage outside. Its transportation was a white unicorn.

"A unicorn?!" Laney happily asked. "You got me a unicorn-drawn carriage?!" (A/N: Technically it's a horse-drawn carriage, but that's a unicorn, not an ordinary horse.)

"I remember hearing you gush over a dog dressed as a unicorn during Comet Day," Trina recalled. "So instead of doing the tradition and turning mice into horses, I gave you your very own unicorn."

Laney gushed over the unicorn. "I can't believe this is happening to me!" she exclaimed, smiling wide.

"You better believe it," Trina said. "Now go on and enjoy your princess moment. I know I said you don't have a deadline, but I would suggest getting back here before The Newmans. Don't want them to get suspicious."

Laney walked over to the carriage, opened the door, and got in. "I'll keep that in mind," she said, closing the carriage door.

And so, with Laney in the carriage, it drove off, bringing her to the dance.

* * *

**A/N: End of chapter 2. If you want, feel free to draw some pictures based on this fanfic. You can send me the links through private messages.**


	3. Emerging Couples

At city hall, the attendants were enjoying the festivities. Everyone was wearing formal attire and listening to the classical music in the background. Corey, Kin, and Kon were already there. Kin and Kon were both wearing their usual outfits with loose ties around their necks, but Corey wore a dark blue suit. The twins were enjoying the snacks while Corey was talking to various girls about the replacement bassist.

"So with Chloe gone, I need someone to take her place," Corey said. "So do you play the bass? It's okay if you're not good at first. I'll help you get better." But the girl walked off, not interested.

"I still think you look nice in that dress!" Corey called out to the girl.

* * *

Meanwhile, The Newmans showed up. "Everyone, your princess has arrived!" Carrie exclaimed, extending her arms for emphasis.

However, no one paid attention to the blue-haired girl. But that didn't stop her. "Thank you," she said to random people as she and her band walked by. "You're too kind."

"Carrie, I don't think anyone cares," Lenny said.

"Yes they do," Carrie insisted. "Hear that? That's the sound of people talking about how good I look."

"But you're the perfect girl! Can't you think about it before you say no?!"

Carrie looked over at the sound of that voice, and her eyes widened. Standing right over there was Corey Riffin of Grojband. While she usually hated him, there was something about him that seemed different. Was it the absence of his usual beanie? How good he looked in that suit? Or was it both? Either way, she had to talk to him. "Excuse me, Newmans," she said. "I wish to speak to a certain someone."

* * *

Corey watched as another girl turned him down. He was getting frustrated with finding a bassist. All he did was walk up to a girl and ask her if she would like to join the band. How hard was it to find that replacement?

"Hello Riffin."

Corey turned around and saw Carrie walking over to him. His eyes widened, surprised to see her in a revealing dress. "Beff," he said, glaring at her.

Carrie gave Corey a sly smile and put her hand on his chest. "So, what brings a boy like you to a party as fancy at this?" she asked.

"I'm trying to find a new bassist to replace Chloe," Corey answered.

"You don't say," Carrie said, leaning closer to Corey. "How about we make a deal?"

"Why would I make a deal with a Newman?" Corey asked in response.

"Because I wish to form a truce," Carrie explained. "My band is doing a better job with gigs than your band because of our wonderful manager. But sadly, none of my other bandmates are good at singing. It's a shame because I really want to perform a duet in the next gig. If we merge our bands together, you get your new bassist and I'll get my singing partner." At this point, their lips were in close proximity. "What do you say? Do we have a deal?"

Corey didn't know what to say. He felt like telling Carrie he didn't want to merge the bands, but he couldn't form words in his mouth. He was looking at Carrie's deep blue eyes, forgetting all about needing a replacement bassist. Without thinking, he closed his eyes and put his hands on Carrie's back. She closed her eyes as well, losing her train of thought. They moved closer together until-

Corey noticed the whole ballroom suddenly became quiet. He opened his eyes and moved away from Carrie. "What's going on?" he asked.

Carrie opened her eyes. "Who cares?" she asked, putting her hands on the back of his neck. "We were about to agree on merging the bands."

Corey pulled himself away from Carrie. "No we weren't," he said, trying to figure out why everyone was quiet. "You were going to kiss me-" He finally found out what was going on. "What the...?"

* * *

Laney didn't get what just happened. As soon as she arrived at city hall and made it to the dance, the room got quiet and everyone was looking at her. She walked through the doorway, feeling slightly uncomfortable. _"This feels awkward,"_ she thought. _"Guess Trina was right about me being this universe's version of Cinderella. Wonder who my prince charming is."_

As if on cue, a flash of blue caught her eye. It was none other than Corey, and he was looking at her with a glossy look in his eyes. She slowly walked up to him, wondering if this boy was her prince charming. Soon, she was standing in front of him, looking deep into his bright blue eyes. After a few more seconds of silence, he held out his hand towards her. She responded by moving her own hand into his, not breaking eye contact.

Corey leaned in closer to Laney. "I gotta admit," he said in a quiet voice. "You make a cute girl, Laney Penn."

Laney's eyes widened. The last time she checked, the prince charming wasn't supposed to recognize Cinderella! "I-I don't know who you're talking about," she lied.

"Come on, Lanes," Corey said, still speaking quietly. "How could I forget a pretty face like yours? Don't worry, I won't ruin the illusion."

Even as people resumed what they were doing, Corey and Laney were still having a moment. But sadly, the moment was broken when Carrie stormed over to the two twelve-year-olds. "Do you mind?" she asked Laney. "I was talking to my friend about a possible band merger."

Noticing how Carrie didn't recognize her, Laney took advantage of that. "You must be Carrie Beff of The Newmans," she said. "I heard all about your group. You deserve to be the lead singer. Your voice sounds perfect for reciting poetry."

"Excuse me?" Carrie asked.

"I said your voice is perfect for reciting poetry," Laney repeated. She wasn't lying. She actually thought Carrie deserved to be the band's lead singer.

"Oh," Carrie said. "You weren't being sarcastic."

"Why would I?" Laney asked. "You band deserved all those gigs. You must have a wonderful manager."

"I suppose she's good at her job," Carrie admitted with a sigh. "The only problem is that she seems to question everything. What am I doing wrong?"

"Try going easy on her," Corey suggested. "If you make her overwork, she'll end up quitting."

"You think so?" Carrie asked.

"He has a good point," Laney agreed.

"Then it's settled," Carrie said. "Starting tomorrow, I'll take it easy on the manager. I'll just leave you two alone." With that, she walked off to find her bandmates.

"So..." Corey said, noticing he and Laney were still holding hands. "Do you want to dance?"

"Sure," Laney answered. Then Corey brought her out to the dance floor.

* * *

Elsewhere, Carrie found The Newmans near the snack bar. "We have to be nicer to Laney," she said.

"You don't say?" Kim asked with little surprise.

"I had a discussion with Corey and some red-haired girl and they agreed that we've been making Laney overwork," Carrie continued. "As soon as we get back to the garage, I'm going to let Laney go home and rest."

"But Carrie, what if Laney isn't in the garage when we get back?" Kim asked.

"Probably means she went home anyway," Carrie answered. "But as soon as I see her, I'm going to ease up and treat her with respect."

"So Carrie, how was your discussion with Corey?" Konnie asked, wanting to change topics. "You know, before that girl showed up?"

"It was fine," Carrie said. "Turns out he's trying to find a replacement bassist because their old one recently quit."

"You didn't say anything about wanting that spot, did you?" Lenny asked.

"No, I suggested merging the bands together," Carrie said. "He would get his new bassist, and I would get my singing partner."

"Did anything else happen?" Konnie asked.

"Nope," Carrie lied, a small blush appearing on her face.

"Don't lie to me," Konnie said. "I saw you two almost kiss."

"No way!" Kim exclaimed. "You almost kissed Corey Riffin?! The lead singer of our rival band?!"

Carrie smiled at the memory. "Actually, I hereby end our rivalry with Grojband," she declared. "I saw Riffin in a new light."

"That's great," Lenny said, feeling a bit jealous. "So why's he dancing with another girl?"

"What?!" Carrie yelped. Sure enough, she saw Corey and Laney waltzing on the dance floor. She was surprised.

"Still see him in another light?" Lenny asked with a smirked.

"Why can't a guy like him like a girl like me?!" Carrie hollered.

"It's okay, Carrie," Lenny said, patting her back. "There are plenty of other guys to date."

Carrie turned to face Lenny. Then without warning, she put her hand on the back of his head and kissed him. It was brief, but it left Lenny in shock. "Wh-Why did you...?"

"Guess you were right about plenty of other guys to date," Carrie said with a smile.

* * *

Back on the dance floor, Laney was feeling incredibly happy. She was feeling like a true girl right now with Corey twirling her around as they danced. This was her moment, and she loved every single bit of it. Corey noticed it. "Someone looks happy tonight," he said.

"Sorry," Laney said. "I never really had any moments like these."

"It's okay," Corey said. "Why wouldn't you be happy? You're attending the biggest event Peaceville holds once a year, you're dancing with a rather good-looking guy, and you look exactly like a dazzling princess."

"You think I look dazzling?" Laney asked, flattered by the compliment.

"Why wouldn't I think that?" Corey asked in response. "I've never seen a girl with beautiful hair like yours."

At that point, the song came to an end as Corey and Laney stopped dancing. They were still in their embrace, not breaking eye contact. She lowered her arms as he put his hands on her cheek and collarbone. They moved closer, their eyes slowly closing. Then, like magic, their lips came in contact. As the kiss deepened, he moved his hands to her waist and she put her hands on his chest.

Laney was in a state of utter bliss. Even when the kiss ended, she opened her eyes to see Corey looking at her. She let out a giggle, happy she was finally being herself. She was having so much fun, she completely forgot about leaving before The Newmans.

* * *

While Laney was having fun partying, The Newmans came back to the garage. "Laney?" Carrie asked. "You in here?"

But Laney was nowhere to be seen. Kim noticed a note on the computer, so she read it. "It says she got exhausted with the computer research so she went home to get some sleep," she said.

"That's okay," Carrie said, keeping her word. "We'll tell her about the party tomorrow."

* * *

**A/N: Before you say anything, I want to clarify that I wanted to mix things up. The story is still based on the 2013 Broadway production of Cinderella, but with a few more twists.**


	4. A New Friend

The next day, Laney came back to the garage in her usual boyish look. She was still thinking about the dance last night. It was the greatest night of her life. During that time, wasn't The Newmans' manager. She was Laney Penn, grand ball beauty. But sadly, that fantasy had to end and she was back to being a band manager. So for now, she had to pretend she didn't go so Carrie and the others wouldn't get suspicious.

"Look who's finally up," Carrie said as Laney entered. "Hope you slept well."

At that instance, Laney realized she forgot all about going back to the garage before the band. But it seemed Carrie wasn't angry about it, so she played along. "Sure did," she said. "Did you enjoy that 'lovely night' you talked about yesterday?"

"Not exactly," Carrie said. "But I did find my special someone."

Laney noticed Carrie and Lenny were holding hands. "You don't say," she said. "When did you two hook up?"

"She kissed me last night," Lenny answered.

"You said there were other guys," Carrie recalled. "So I decided to go for it."

"Was your dream prince not what you expected?" Laney asked.

"You mean Riffin?" Carrie asked in response. "He ended up with some girl who looked like Lenny."

"Hey!" Lenny yelped, offended.

"Oh please, a lot of people have the same body structure," Carrie said.

"Okay then," Laney said, walking over to the computer. "I'll just check for more gigs and-"

"No need," Carrie said. "Riffin and that girl gave me good advice, so as of right now, I won't be so harsh to you."

"Really?" Laney said, doing a good job with acting surprised.

"Sure," Carrie answered, packing up her guitar. "For your first easy task, I want you to come with us to the park for an outdoor rehearsal."

"Wow, thanks," Laney said.

"Hold on," Kim said. "Can I talk to Laney for a minute?"

"Don't take a long time," Carrie said. "We still need to rehearse."

When Carrie, Lenny, and Konnie left the garage, Kim closed the garage door and looked at Laney. "Why did you ask about the dance?"

"I wanted to hear what you did last night," Laney answered. "I'm curious."

"Oh really?" Kim asked. She grabbed Laney's wrist and looked at her hand. "So there's absolutely no reason why your fingernails are white."

Laney pulled away and looked at her hands. Sure enough, she saw white fingernail polish on each of her ten fingers. She didn't remember putting it on this morning, so... _"Trina must have added it last night,"_ she thought.

"I'm not done," Kim said. "Your fingernails are the same shade of white as the gown worn by the girl Corey danced with. So I just have one question for you."

"Okay, so it was me," Laney confessed. "I wanted to go but I didn't want to disappoint Carrie. Then Trina showed up and she practically forced me to-"

"That wasn't what I was going to ask you," Kim interrupted. "It was pretty obvious to me. I want to know how you suddenly got longer hair last night. What did you use? A wig? Extensions?"

"Oh, that," Laney said. "My hair is naturally long. It looks short because I use a round brush, a blow dryer, and exactly twelve bobby pins."

"No way," Kim said. "It can't be."

"Why do you think I show up a few minutes late?" Laney asked.

That was enough proof for Kim. "Because you're working on your hair..."

"Yep," Laney said.

Kim's smile got bigger. "I didn't know there was a girly-girl underneath that boyish exterior," she said.

"Don't tell Carrie about it," Laney said. "I already got her to like me."

"I won't," Kim said. "Besides, since I know your secret, I might as well tell you my secret."

"Really?" Laney asked, curious. "You don't say."

Kim nodded in response. "Last night, Konnie said she saw Corey and Carrie almost kiss before you showed up. So she-"

"Whoa!" Laney exclaimed. "Slow down. I know Carrie said she started to like Corey, but she didn't say anything about kissing him."

"Almost," Kim corrected. "Your entrance sort of interrupted it. Now as I was saying, Carrie probably sees Corey differently now since she declared to end the rivalry between both bands. It's good for me because I have this small crush on the keyboard player Kin."

Laney was surprised to hear that. "You like Kin Kujira?" she asked. "The guy who claimed he accidentally erases this thing called 'lemonade' from history with some kind of time machine."

"I know he's a bit strange," Kin said. "But he's so good with his hands. He's a better keyboard player than me and I really want him to give me pointers. I know Carrie wanted to end our rivalry, but I don't want to push it."

"It's okay," Laney said, giving Kim her keytar. "Now we better get to the park. The others are probably waiting for us."

* * *

**One Week Later...**

A lot of things changed since the Peaceville ball. Grojband and The Newmans were officially friends and Carrie was much nicer to Laney. But not everything was back to normal. Sure Grojband was still looking for a new bassist, but the main problem had to do with Corey and his newest obsession.

"Corey, all you've thought about lately is this girl from the dance," Kin said. "Shouldn't we focus on finding our new bassist?"

Corey sighed as he strummed his guitar. "I just have to see Laney again," he said. "She's perfect for taking Chloe's place as the band bassist."

"The manager for The Newmans?" Kon asked. "What does she have to do with the girl you met?"

"Guys, it was her!" Corey insisted. "I recognized her face and voice. I would have to be a complete moron to think it was some other girl."

"That couldn't have been her," Kin said. "Laney has short hair. From what I saw, that girl had long hair."

"Trust me," Corey said. "I just need to see her again. But how?"

Trina, already in her disguise, entered the garage. "OMG, Mina!" she said, talking on her cell phone. "I can't believe tonight is, like, the big celebration Peaceville has every year to honor the Grimm Brothers! It's so going to be perfect!" Then she left the garage and slammed the door shut.

"The Annual Grimm Festival is tonight?" Kon asked.

"Of course!" Corey happily said. "Every girl in town is going to attend the festival! I'll meet Laney there and I'll see if she's willing to become our new bassist!"

* * *

Back in the Riffin household, Trina overheard Corey's plan and she smiled. Her phone wasn't even turned on! She just had a fake conversation with Mina to put the idea in her brother's head. After all, everything had to go according to plan.


	5. Trina's Confession

That night, The Newmans got ready for the festival. While Lenny wore the same suit he wore for the Peaceville ball last week, his bandmates wore different dresses. Kim wore a blue and yellow dress with pale yellow flats, Konnie wore a pink dress with pink sparkling high heels, and Carrie wore a pale purple dress with a long blonde wig, not bothering to wear shoes since they weren't part of her outfit.

"Okay Newmans," Carrie said, adjusting her wig for the umpteenth time. "Before we go, has anyone seen Laney? I told her she could come with us."

"I don't know," Kim admitted. "The last time I saw her, she said she wasn't feeling well and she didn't want us to get sick."

"Maybe she really isn't into that girly stuff," Konnie guessed.

"Fine by me," Carrie said. "I just hope she feels better by tomorrow. After all, she is our best manager."

* * *

In the Penn residence, Laney was in her room watching a music documentary. She was already wearing a pink nightgown, and she had no plans to leave the house. Besides, she already had her fairy tale moment a week ago. It wouldn't have been fun if she did it again. So for now, she hoped she could go to bed without any interruptions.

At least until her bedroom door was slammed open and a certain someone turned off the TV.

"Laney Penn, what are you doing here?!" Trina asked, wearing her fairy godmother outfit. "You should be getting ready for tonight's festival!"

"But I don't want to go," Laney said. "Didn't you do all this princess stuff to me last week?"

Trina rummaged through the bedroom closet and took out Laney's glass slippers. "This is not about you having your moment," the fairy godmother in-training explained. "This is about _these_." She showed Laney the shoes. "Now, what do you see?"

Laney looked at the shoes. "The glass slippers you magically created," she said.

"Exactly," Trina continued, putting them on the floor. "Glass _slippers_. Plural, not singular. You didn't lose one last week. What did you do?"

"Sorry Trina," Laney said. "You didn't give me the 'spell ends at the stroke of midnight' rule and I completely forgot about The Newmans!"

"Of course..." Trina said. "I told Marie I could have waited until I became an official fairy godmother, but nooooo. She made me do it right now. 'It's time, dearest one,' she said. 'If you don't do it now, she will never have her happy ending.'." She looked at Laney. "But enough with me and my mentor problems. Judging by your loose hair and makeup-free face, you already bathed. Now I have to whip up an outfit from old fabric and you'll be ready for the festival in no time."

"What's the big deal?" Laney asked as Trina searched the room for random scraps. "So what if I didn't let Corey have one of my shoes? The Newmans are treating me better and I recently became friends with the band's keytarist."

Trina stopped rummaging and looked back at Laney. "What's the big deal?" she repeated. "What's the big deal?! The big deal is you not going to this party! The number one rule of Midnight Wishes Industries is to make sure _every_ Cinderella in the Multiverse looses a glass slipper at the dance so her prince charming finds it, goes foot searching the next day, eventually reaches her house, finds her, puts the shoe on her foot, and she ends up living happily ever after."

"So?" Laney asked. "Not like I'm the first Cinderella to break those rules."

"No, you're the second Cinderella to do that," Trina corrected as a scroll magically appeared next to her. "The name of the first one was Ella, and she was the Cinderella my mentor worked with. Everything was going great. She was with her prince charming and she left all according to plan. Then she made the stupid mistake of snatching her shoe before the guy could pick it up! Luckily he decided to host a banquet three days later, so Marie stepped in again, fixed Ella's torn dress, and everything else went according to plan. Even if Ella had to purposely lose her shoe." The scroll vanished. "But at least she _wanted_ to go to the banquet. You're the first stubborn Cinderella in all the Multiverse. It's worse than the one Abigail worked with, and that one had serious time-travel issues because of her wicked stepmother."

"Was Ella the first Cinderella to get recognized by her prince charming?" Laney asked.

Trina blinked in response. "You're joking," she said. "Cinderella isn't supposed to get recognized by her prince charming! Haven't you read the stories?!"

"Yes," Laney answered. "I can't go to the festival knowing Corey will recognize me again!"

"Hold on," Trina said. "Maybe you can. The prince charming goes foot searching because he doesn't recognize Cinderella. But since Corey knows he was dancing with you, the only difference is that he won't make every girl in town try on the glass slipper. He'll come straight to you and you'll quickly get your happy ending."

"Still not interested in going," Laney said.

"You really don't have a choice," Trina said. Then a green and yellow striped scroll magically appeared. "This is your Story Scroll. Every Cinderella has one. When a fairy godmother gets a Story Scroll, she locates the Cinderella who matches the Story Scroll description and she has no choice but to help her. Some Cinderellas willing to play along, others think they're going to end up living with the wicked stepfamily and they'll never have their happy ending. Winifred had to give her Cinderella words of encouragement when the wicked stepmother of that universe found out what was going on, Lucinda practically dragged her Cinderella to the ball, and Marie used some Broadway-style song to snap her Cinderella out of a funk. So here I am, breaking the rule of keeping the organization a secret so I can get you to the festival. No heartfelt speech, no forced magic, no show tune."

"Wait," Laney said, getting off her bed. "You weren't supposed to tell me about your job?"

"Pretty much," Trina answered as Laney's Story Scroll vanished. "But since your Story Scroll says you're a closet girly-girl who loves fairy tales and you apparently saw almost every Cinderella story, I had no other choice. Otherwise you would have thought I was pulling a prank. I haven't spoke to Marie since I gave her a report of my progress last week, and she's still upset at me for telling you everything. The least I can do is give you a nice dress for the festival."

"Well alright," Laney said with a sigh. "If you insist..." She closed her eyes and raised her arms. "Do your thing."

"I told you my magic is permanent because I'm not an official fairy godmother," Trina repeated.

"I can make another nightgown from scratch," Laney said. "Just hurry before I change my mind."

"Okay then," Trina said, cracking her knuckles. "Hopefully Marie doesn't mind that I copy one of her designs..." Then she used her magic on Laney.

Just like before, Laney was surrounded by lilac powder. Her nightgown changed color and shape, makeup appeared on her face, and her hair was slowly curling. When it was all over, Laney lowered her arms and opened her eyes. "Now was that hard?" Trina asked.

Laney walked over to her bedroom mirror and saw what Trina did. Her pink nightgown became a golden gown and there was golden eyeshadow on her eyelids. Her usually straight hair was curled elegantly, but it still covered her left eye. "Not bad," she said. "But it doesn't feel right."

"Aside from you needing these?" Trina asked, referring to the glass slippers. "Maybe this will help." She used her magic to create a plain yellow barrette and she put it in Laney's hair, moving her sideswept bangs off her face. "Better?"

Laney looked at her reflection again and smiled. "Guess so," she said.

"Good," Trina said, placing the glass slippers next to Laney so could put them on her feet. "Now you better head over to the festival. Corey is probably waiting for you."


	6. Festival Band Battle

Like in the previous years, the festival was held at the local park. Both Grojband (who wore the same outfits they wore during last week's ball) and The Newmans were already there, and both bands were actually getting along. Especially Kin and Kim.

"Nice costume, Kim," Kin said. "You truly are the fairest of them all."

"I wouldn't really say that," Kim said. "I'm not princess material, after all."

"You still look nice in a geeky kind of way," Kin said. "Especially your voice."

"Kin, I sound like a screeching crow*," Kim pointed out.

Kin grasped Kim's hand. "I think your voice sounds as musical as a a group of dragonflies hovering over a swamp," he said.

Kim blushed. "No one has told me that," she said.

"Well you do," Kin said. "Carrie should give you a chance to sing."

"What?" Kim asked. "I-I can't! Carrie said she's the only one who can handle all vocal ranges."

"Oh really?" Kin asked. "Hey Carrie, is that true?"

Carrie walked over to the two. "What's true?" she asked.

"Kim said you're the only singer in the band because you can somehow 'handle all vocal ranges'," Kin said.

"Oh, that," Carrie said. "Are you questioning my gift?"

"No, I think Kim should sing once in a while," Kin said.

"Please," Carrie said, rolling her eyes. "Have you seen her sing? She's too high."

Corey saw what was going on, so he approached the group. "What's going on here?" he asked.

"Apparently Carrie won't let her bandmates sing," Kin recapped.

"No, I said I'm the only one who can sing perfectly," Carrie said.

"It's really not a big deal..." Kim said.

"There's only one way we can end this dispute," Corey said. "A little band competition."

At this point, Kon, Konnie, and Lenny approached the group. "Band competition?" Lenny asked. "How are we going to do that without our instruments and while you're missing a bassist?"

"You mean the ones already on the outdoor stage?"

That voice came from none other than Trina, who just arrived with Laney. "Trina?" Corey asked. "What do you-?"

Trina gestured to the outdoor stage. Sure enough, both sets of the bands' instruments were already there. "I had a feeling something like that was going to happen, so I brought them here," she explained. "Hashtag: HELPING!"

Corey saw Laney. "That's the girl from last week's ball," he said.

"And she's going to be your bassist player," Trina continued. "Guess you guys can have a band competition after all."

* * *

And so, both bands were set up. "Here are the rules," Trina said, acting as the band referee. "Each band must perform one original song. Whichever gets the most applause wins." She hopped off the stage. "As the more experienced band, The Newmans are going first. Remember. Make sure your keytarist sings some of the lyrics."

"Fine," Carrie said. "You'll see I'm the better singer." With that, they began their performance.

Carrie: _Over they years, fairy tales end happy_  
_The girl gets the guy and she gets a good life_  
_But what happened after the story ends_  
_These are the endings writers don't want you to know..._

_Let's start of with Rapunzel_  
_The former long-haired blonde_  
_She might have lost her powers just to see her birth parents_  
_But what about her husband_  
_You know, a former crook_

Kim: _His crimes were never forgotten_  
_He's in jail for six years_

Carrie: _Mulan was not a princess_  
_But Disney made her one_  
_So let's talk 'bout how she rebelled and took part in a war_  
_The rules were stricter back then_  
_And even though she won_

Kim: _She lost her head two weeks later_  
_I bet she feels guilty_

Carrie: _Tiana's tale is different_  
_The location was a flaw_  
_The film took place in New Orleans and you know what happened_  
_She broke a prince's curse_  
_A rich friend helped her out_

Kim: _Then years later a hurricane hit_  
_So much for luxury_

Carrie: _So the next time you read fairy tales_  
_Don't ask what happened next_  
_It's better off the way they are_  
_The rest is a huge mess_  
_Let all ending stay happy_  
_To keep the young ones glad_  
_Or else they end up scarred for life_  
_We can't let that happen_

Only a few people clapped. Most of the audience winced in pain when Kim sang. "I told you I'm better at singing," Carrie told Kim.

"Come on, gang," Corey said. "Let's show The Newmans how it's really done."

"We don't have any lyrics," Kon pointed out. "How are going to get Trina to-"

"Not this time," Corey said. He looked over at Laney. "Ready to perform?"

"I guess," Laney said with a shrug.

"Good enough for me," Corey said. "Count us in, Kon!"

"1, 2, 3, 4!"

_Never met a girl quite like you_  
_My heart skips a beat when I see your face_  
_Your every action makes me like you more_  
_Stop looking at that clock and keep your eyes on me_

_You're the girl I've dreamed of_  
_I love you so much_

_When the clock strikes twelve, stay a big longer_  
_I wanna see your face after the spell's gone_  
_Why must you leave me_  
_I bet you're pretty when that gown turns into rags_  
_And your whole body gets all covered in soot_  
_So stick with me past midnight and forget about your past_  
_I want to spend the night with my..._  
_Cinderella rock girl_

_You're the only girl who caught my eye_  
_It was love at first sight and that's not a lie_  
_I know it was a spell that turned you pretty_  
_But I know you're beautiful in your everyday look_

_You're the girl I've dreamed of_  
_I love you so much_

_When the clock strikes twelve, stay a big longer_  
_I wanna see your face after the spell's gone_  
_Why must you leave me_  
_Your stepsisters are jealous of your flawless looks_  
_Ignore the hurtful things they have once told you_  
_I hate to see you think you were never dazzling_  
_So please stick with me for a while..._  
_Cinderella rock girl_

_For this moment leave your fears behind_  
_Don't go yet, our time is not even done_  
_Can't you see you're the only girl for me_  
_If only you could see what I see in you..._

_It's already past twelve, don't be so afraid_  
_I can already see the spell is starting to fade_  
_Please don't you leave me_  
_You look beautiful in those worn-out rags_  
_And your eyes, they sparkle in the moonlight_  
_You're prettier than you were before so marry me tonight_  
_I love you for all eternity..._  
_Cinderella rock girl_

As the audience cheered, Laney was amazed by Corey's song. _"Did he write that song for me?"_ she thought. She looked Trina, who looked pretty happy. She had a lot of explaining to do.

* * *

"You knew, didn't you?" Laney asked once she and Trina were far enough from the festival.

"What do you mean?" Trina innocently asked. "I'm just following your Story Scroll. Remember to leave one of your glass slippers behind."

"Don't play dumb," Laney said. "Corey was singing about me."

"Good," Trina said as she checked the Story Scroll. "It must be this universe's version of the part where, in some musical adaptations, the prince charming confesses his love to Cinderella through song."

"Yeah, about that," Laney said. "He seems to know a lot about the fairy tale. Is there something you're not telling me."

"Nope," Trina said, putting the Story Scroll away. "Now get back out there and do your thing." But seeing how Laney wasn't convinced, the fairy godmother in-training sighed. "Oh, alright. I'll tell you everything."

"Start from the beginning," Laney said. "When you got your assignment."

Trina created a small cloud of lilac powder. "It was a week after I joined the company," she said. "Things weren't going well. Fairy godmothers were getting assigned to Cinderella every day, but I was stuck on organizing Marie's magical records. So one day, I had to change a few things."

**Flashback**

_"Here are your current files, Marie," Trina said, placing a stack of folders on a desk._

_"Thank you, Miss Riffin," Marie said. "You have been here for a week and you are showing excellence progress. Just think. In a few more years, you will finally get assigned to a Cinderella anywhere in the Multiverse."_

_"Yeah, about that," Trina said. "I can't keep doing this for years. My brother is starting to get suspicious and it won't be long before that hypnosis spell I put on Mina will wear off."_

_"Miss Riffin, what did you tell me when you joined this company?" Marie asked._

_"To improve myself as a better person," Trina dully recited._

_"Precisely," Marie said. "I was also a fairy godmother in-training years ago, and I did all my work before I was assigned to a Cinderella. I might have lost all my family and friends centuries ago, but it was worth it when I turned Ella's rags into a beautiful diamond gown. I know you will also get your chance, Miss Riffin. Just not this year. You still have a lot to learn."_

_"Yes, Marie," Trina said._

_"But I didn't want to lose everything that made me a person. I had to get my assignment early, even by force."_

_Back in the real world, Trina noticed Corey was in the living room watching the Disney version of Cinderella. He sighed, looking unhappy as he watched the fairy godmother appear. "Like, what's wrong?" Trina asked, sitting next to her brother._

_"Look at her," Corey said, referring to Cinderella. "She's the most beautiful fictional girl in Disney history. And in a few minutes, the fairy godmother is going to show her that."_

_Trina recognized the fairy godmother. Her name was Abigail Delight, and she was the oldest employee to work for Midnight Wishes Industries. She used a magic wand and she had a habit of using some goofy song when she used spells. She even became friends with enchanted mice after Cinderella got her happy ending._

_"You really like this movie, don't you?" Trina asked after a few moments of comfortable silence._

_"Yep," Corey said. "And here comes my favorite part." The scene Corey was referring to was when Abigail turned Cinderella's torn dress into a white gown. When that happened, Trina noticed Corey had a glossy look in his eyes. She recognized that look as a sign he was in love._

_"It's her, isn't it?" Trina asked. "You totes like her."_

_"I would do anything to fall in love with a girl who looks like that," Corey admitted. "Someone who's beautiful on both the inside and outside." He sighed again. "I really want to be that girl's prince charming."_

_Trina got an idea. "Anything?" she asked, smiling._

_"Anything," Corey repeated. "I just want to dance with a princess for once."_

_"I wanted to make Corey happy. He looked desperate to find a girl as pretty as the Cinderella that Abigail helped. So while the company was closed for the night, I snuck in and did something that no other fairy godmother has done."_

_In the Story Scroll room, Trina found a blank scroll. Then she put it into the Story Scroll Creator (which looked like a printing press) and did a quick search on the Cinderella Locator. After dismissing a random search, she discovered there was one last Cinderella who wasn't assigned._

_"I don't believe this," Trina muttered to herself. "This girl has been working as a band manager for a while, and the band doesn't even treat her nicely! How could the fairies who make these Story Scrolls forget to include her? Guess I'll have to fix that." She added the Scroll's details. "Just need to assign my brother as the prince charming, and..." She pressed the 'Create Story Scroll' button on the keyboard._

_A few minutes later, the Story Scroll was finished. Trina took it out of the machine and quickly read through it. "This is for you, Corey," she said. "I'm going to get you your Cinderella."_

**End Flashback**

"I haven't visited the company afterwards," Trina concluded. "I knew Marie was angry at me for breaking company rules and I didn't want to face her." The small cloud vanished. "But it was worth it. I wanted to give Corey that dream girl, and you were the best one qualified."

"But why me?" Laney asked. "You could have paired Corey up with a girl who could have been this universe's actual Cinderella. Someone who had a similar backstory. But you chose me, someone who was a manager for a mean band. Why?"

Trina knelt down to face Laney. "There was another candidate," the fairy godmother in-training explained. "But you were the perfect match for my brother. You have both inner and outer beauty, yet you hide your girly side from others. You're also smart, tough, and musically-gifted. I knew that if Corey found out about your girly side, he would immediately fall in love with you. And guess what? It worked."

"You actually went against company rules because you believed I'm Corey's perfect match?" Laney asked.

"Of course," Trina said. She stood to her full height. "Now go on. Corey's waiting for you."

* * *

Back at the festival, Laney walked up to Corey. He immediately pulled her in for a hug. "You look beautiful in that golden dress, Lanes," he whispered. "Even prettier than the diamond gown you wore last week."

"The song was for me, wasn't it?" Laney asked.

Corey pulled back, keeping his hands on Laney's waist. "Of course," he said. "I love you so much. You're the Cinderella I always wanted. The perfect girl for me." He lifted a hand to hair, moving loose strands away from her eyes. "I meant every word in that song."

Then just like during last week's dance, Corey and Laney embraced in a very loving kiss. It was brief, but it was enough to make Laney smile. They hung out together for the rest of the festival. Eventually, the festival came to an end and everyone was going home.

"I had fun tonight, Core," Laney said.

"So did I," Corey said. "Hopefully I could see you tomorrow." But just as he and Trina were about to head home, Laney knew she still had one thing left to do.

"Wait!" Laney exclaimed. When Corey looked over at her, she took off one of her glass slippers and put it in his hands.

Corey looked at the shoe, confused. "Uh, why are you-?"

"Give it to me tomorrow," Laney explained. "Don't ask why."

"But-" Corey started.

"Just take the shoe," Trina said. "All will be clarified the next day."

* * *

***Here's a bit of show trivia! If you pay close attention to the Newmans scene in Six Strings of Evil, you can hear them grunt as the Rocklympus guitar attacks them. Lenny's voice was like Laney's but slightly masculine, while Kim's voice was very high pitched. I have a feeling their voices will sound like that when they finally talk on the show.**


	7. An Iconic Moment

The next day, Grojband was going through another practice session. Except this time, Corey was still thinking about the glass slipper. "I don't get it," he said. "Why would she give me her shoe?"

"Maybe she thought that only her foot can fit and she wants you to find her today," Kon guessed.

Kin smirked. "Guess you finally got your fairy tale wish, prince charming," he teased.

"But I know who this belongs to," Corey said. "This whole mess started when Chloe quit the band. What's going on with me?"

Trina, back in her human disguise, entered the garage. "Like, what are you doing here Corey?" she asked. "You have to find the girl who gave you the glass slipper."

"And Trina's acting weird," Corey told Kin and Kon. "It's as if she knows what's going on."

Trina grabbed Corey's arm. "Would you excuse us?" she asked the former conjoined twins. "We so need to have a family meeting."

* * *

Trina dragged Corey over to the living room. "What's wrong with you?" he asked. "Lately you've been playing matchmaker with me and Laney. You need to tell me everything right now."

Trina let go of her brother. "You really want to know the truth?" she asked. "Alright. Here's the truth." She used her brown shawl to transform into her fairy godmother appearance. "I'm a fairy godmother in-training who works for a company called Midnight Wishes Industries, which helps out all the Cinderellas in the Multiverse that were created by space gods."

Corey blinked. "Huh?"

Trina sighed in frustration. "I know it's hard to comprehend, but it's true," she said. "I wasn't even supposed to get my assignment until a few centuries later. But when I saw you sitting on this couch watching the Disney version of Cinderella, I took action. Ever since I illegally created a Story Scroll from scratch, I have broke just about every rule of the company. I assigned myself to a Cinderella while I was still in-training, told that same Cinderella about my job, and practically forced everything that happened these past few weeks to occur. And here I am, telling you, the prince charming, about this, so that's another rule I broke: a fairy godmother must only reveal herself to Cinderella and no one else."

"That's why you've been acting strange?" Corey asked.

"Some other girl was meant to be this universe's version of Cinderella," Trina explained. "I broke that rule because I knew you and Laney are perfect for each other. Laney wasn't even going to attend last night's festival, but I practically forced her to attend. She had to give you her glass slipper. It's the last rule I haven't broke: the prince charming must put the glass slipper on Cinderella's foot to complete the assignment. I had to tell you this so I wouldn't end up losing my job."

Corey looked at the shoe in his hand. "You've been doing this so I could get a Cinderella of my own?" he asked. "Even breaking company rules to do so?"

"I know my mentor is still angry at me," Trina said. "But if it means you finally get the girl, it's all worth it."

Corey surprised Laney by hugging her. "Thanks sis," he said, smiling. "Guess you really love me."

"Of course I do," Trina said as Corey let go. "So what are you waiting for, prince charming? You have a Cinderella to find."

* * *

Meanwhile, the Newmans were in the Beff garage for another band practice. "I hope Laney is feeling better today," Carrie said.

"I'm sure she is," Kim said. "You know she always shows up thirty minutes later. Give her time, and she'll come."

However, Corey and Trina, who went back to wearing her human disguise, showed up instead. "What do you want, Riffin?" Carrie asked. "Can't you see we're practicing?"

Corey glanced at Trina, who was encouraging him. "I'm here to talk about what happened last night, Beff," he said, taking out the glass slipper.

"I'm sorry, but I wasn't wearing shoes last night," Carrie said. "But thank you for thinking that belonged to me."

"I didn't come here for you," Corey said.

"Kim and Konnie?" Carrie asked. "They both wore flats last night."

"He so didn't come here for you three girls," Trina said.

"Then why are you even here?" Carrie asked.

At that moment, Laney showed up in her boyish outfit. "Sorry I'm late," she said. "I overslept."

Corey saw Laney. "Hi Lanes," he said.

Laney turned around, realizing Corey and Trina's presence. "Hi, Core..." the twelve-year-old girl muttered.

"I think this belongs to you," Corey said, holding out the glass slipper.

"Impossible," Carrie said. "Laney was home sick last night. She didn't attend the festival."

Laney walked over to the two siblings. "Go on, Corey," Trina said. "Everything that has happened these past few weeks has led to this moment."

And so, Laney took off one of her boots, still feeling nervous. Corey knelt down, took a deep breath, and put the glass slipper on Laney's foot. He stood to his full height, smiling. "It's a perfect fit," he said.

The Newmans, except for Kim, were surprised. "Wha-?!" Carrie asked.

"Impossible things are happening every day," Trina told the blue-haired girl, quoting the Midnight Wishes Industries slogan.

"Yes Carrie," Laney said. "I was the girl at the Peaceville ball and last night's festival. Trina made the outfits and gave me glass slippers."

"Guess there's one thing left for me to do," Carrie said. She approached Corey and Laney. "Laney, I'm sorry for initially being cruel to you. I never thought you could actually be prettier than me. Even during this past week, I changed my attitude and started treating you nicer. But knowing that you were that beautiful girl who won Corey's heart and did an outstanding performance last night, I have no other choice but to fire you as The Newmans' band manager. After all, you are clearly better off as Grojband's new bassist."

"Thanks Carrie," Laney said. "And as for your harsh treatment towards me, I forgive you."

"Now before we go, Lanes, there's still one rule I have for you," Corey said.

"What?" Laney asked.

Corey responded by reaching into Laney's hair and taking out the bobby pins one by one, letting them fall to the ground. "Let me see your beautiful self," he said, caressing her long auburn locks with one hand. "You deserve to wear anything you want in our band."

"Leave that to me," Trina said with a smile.

* * *

Later that day, while both Grojband and The Newmans were practicing, Trina went to Midnight Wishes Industries. While she did complete her assignment, she still had to face her mentor. Sure enough, as soon as she entered the office room, Marie was waiting for her.

"Hello Marie," Trina said. "Sorry I haven't been visiting for a while. I got your message, and-"

"That is enough, Miss Riffin," Marie said, approaching the fairy godmother in-training. "In these past few weeks, you have created a Story Scroll, assigned a Cinderella to yourself, and told that same Cinderella, as well as the prince charming, about this company. What you have done was much worse than what Lucinda did to her Cinderella."

"I know, Marie," Trina said. "But I can't be that bad. Lucinda cursed her Cinderella and turned one of the evil stepsisters into a frog."

"Precisely," Marie said. "But I am not done. Remember what I told you about my own assignment?"

"Of course," Trina said. "You disguised yourself as a beggar and waited until Ella was stuck at home while her stepfamily left for the ball. Three days later, you fixed her torn dress by turning it into a golden gown. You broke the rule to only help Cinderella once."

"Because unlike Abigail, Ella did not have enchanted mice to help her," Marie said. "I only broke one rule. You broke many. That was a very foolish thing to do."

"I had to do it because of my brother," Trina explained. "He told me he wanted a girl just like the Cinderella that Abigail helped. I could have paired him with any girl, but I chose Laney because I knew in my heart that she was the perfect match for Corey. So I know I was foolish, and maybe even crazy, but if it means I'm no longer an employee, it was all worth it."

"But Miss Riffin, what have I told you about crazy women?" Marie asked.

"You'd be surprised how many beautiful gowns have crazy women in them," Trina recited. "That's what you told Ella."

"Not that quote," Marie said. "The other one. Sometimes crazy women have crazier ideas that just might work. And you, Miss Riffin, are the craziest women I ever met. You went against company rules to make your brother happy. And guess what? You found a Cinderella that all fairies missed."

"Wait, I did what?" Trina asked.

"I had a meeting with Fleury Sparkles this morning," Marie continued. "She told me that Laney Penn was a Cinderella the space gods created, but the fairies who create the Story Scrolls didn't bother to include her. They thought that universe's Cinderella was a homeless girl named Cassie Ash, and they were going to assign a Story Scroll to her. You knew better. You uncovered the forgotten Cinderella, something no other fairy godmother has done. So for breaking most rules to accomplish the impossible, you are hereby promoted to a full-fledge fairy godmother."

"Really?" Trina asked, smiling.

"Yes, dearest," Marie said. "I was watching you from above, and I saw you use all of my tricks. The clothing swap by removing a brown shawl, using smoke and powder for the spells, and most of all, using my gown designs for the outfits."

"Then why did you send me that message?" Trina asked.

"It was a test to see if you would make sure you completed your assignment," Marie continued. "And you passed it. I am very proud of you, miss Riffin. And now that you completed your assignment, it is your job to make sure Laney Penn continues to live a happy life. We do not want a repeat of the time-travel incident that occurred to Abigail."

"Thank you for the training, Marie," Trina said. "I'll never forget your lessons. Hashtag: appreciated."

* * *

**A/N: In case you haven't figured it out, Trina's mentor is supposed to be the same fairy godmother from the 2013 Broadway version of Cinderella. Look up the 2013 Tony Awards clip to see for yourself.**


	8. Happy Endings

**The Next Day...**

Laney went over to the Riffin household with her hair worn loose and her face free of makeup, but she still wore her boyish outfit. Trina knew exactly what to do, so she brought the young girl to her room and locked the door.

"You sure you want to do this?" Trina asked.

"Yes," Laney answered. "Corey wants me to wear something girlier since I'm now in his band, so I want to start fresh and change this into a better outfit."

"Yeah, about that..." Trina said. "Yesterday, Marie promoted me to full-fledge fairy godmother because she was impressed with my actions."

"Does this mean if you use magic to change out outfit, it will wear off after midnight?" Laney asked.

"Actually, no," Trina continued. "I still broke company rules, so as punishment, my magic is still permanent."

"But you're still an official fairy godmother?" Laney asked.

"Pretty much," Trina said. "Just with restricted magic." She cracked her knuckles. "Now for that makeover." Then she went to work.

Lilac powder surrounded Laney, transforming her outfit. Her t-shirt became longer as the colors blended and became one. Her pants became tighter around her legs, getting lighter in color. Her boots changed shape and got smaller, and a small amount of powder went to her hair, moving it away from her face. When it was all over, the powder faded.

"Well?" Trina asked. "What do you think?"

Laney looked at her reflection in the bedroom mirror. She was wearing a pink casual dress, light tan leggings, and black strap-on flats. Her hair was held back in a pink headband, the red locks no longer blocking her vision. "Wow," she said. "I look just like my cousin."

"That's the idea," Trina said. "I know how much you admire her. About time you showed that in your look. Now get down there and start practicing. The band is waiting for you."

* * *

When Laney entered the Riffin garage, she was instantly greeted by her new bandmates. They were all impressed with her new look.

"Nice dress, Laney," Kin said.

"Pink works for you," Kon agreed.

"Wow," Corey said. "You look amazing in that outfit."

"Well get used to it boys," Laney said, strapping on her new pale blue bass. "I'm sticking with this outfit for a long time."

Corey snapped out of it. "Now that Lanes is here, let's start practicing," he said. "Count us in, Kon!"

Things were much better in Peaceville afterwards. Grojband and The Newmans were still friendly with each other, no longer treating gigs as a competition. Since Trina wanted to make sure Laney continued to have a happy life, she treated Grojband nicely, even volunteering as the band's lyricist. And thanks to the determined fairy godmother, Laney was finally able to live happily ever after.

**The End**

* * *

**A/N: And that concludes Cinderella Rock Girl, the first-ever Cinderella-themed Grojband fanfic! Feel free to make your own if you want to. It would be nice to see other people's versions of a Cinderella-themed Grojband fanfic. The casting is up to you, and feel free to make it as unique as you want. Just remember to keep the basic elements of the story.**

**Well, I'm looking forward to see what you all come up with. Happy typing!**


End file.
